The parasympathetic nervous system is anabolic; it conserves and restores. Gastrointestinal secretions and motility (including evacuation) are stimulated, heart rate is slowed, and blood pressure decreases.

Disorders of the ANS can affect any system of the body; they can originate in the peripheral or central nervous system and may be primary or secondary to other disorders. Symptoms suggesting autonomic dysfunction include orthostatic hypotension, heat intolerance, nausea, constipation, urinary retention or incontinence, nocturia, impotence, and dry mucous membranes. If a patient has symptoms suggesting autonomic dysfunction, cardiovagal, adrenergic, and sudomotor tests are usually done to help determine severity and distribution of the dysfunction.

Cardiovagal innervation testing evaluates heart rate response to deep breathing and to the Valsalva maneuver, via electrocardiogram rhythm strip. If the ANS is intact, heart rate varies with these maneuvers; the ratio of longest to shortest R-R interval (Valsalva ratio) should be 1.4 or greater.

The quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test (QSART) evaluates integrity of postganglionic neurons using iontophoresis; electrodes filled with acetylcholine are placed on the legs and wrist to stimulate sweat glands, and the volume of sweat is then measured. The test can detect decreased, absent, or persistent (after stimulus discontinuation) sweat production. The silastic sweat imprint differs from QSART in that the recording is an imprint of the sweat droplets appearing as indentations on silastic material.

The thermoregulatory sweat test (TST) evaluates both preganglionic and postganglionic pathways. After a dye is applied to the skin, patients enter a closed compartment that is heated to cause sweating. Sweating causes the dye to change color, so that areas of anhidrosis and hypohidrosis are apparent and can be calculated as a percentage of body surface area.

Sympathetic skin response (SSR) provides an index of sweat production by measuring change in skin resistance following random electrical stimulation over the palms and soles.

Quantitative direct and indirect axon reflex testing (QDIRT) is defined by Illigens and Gibbons as a novel new technique to evaluate the postganglionic sympathetic cholinergic sudomotor function by measuring the direct and axon-reflex mediated sweat response in a dynamic fashion. Sweat glands are stimulated by acetylcholine iontophoresis and sweat is displayed via an activator dye followed by digital photographs over time.

A variety of monitoring and testing equipment can be used for ANS testing; one example is the ANX 3.0™. In 1994, the Ansar Group, Inc. received U.S. Food and drug Administration (FDA) 510(K) clearance for their new autonomic nervous system monitoring technology; in 2004 Ansar introduced the ANX 3.0, which is their latest generation non-invasive, real-time, digital monitor of autonomic nervous system functioning. The ANX 3.0 monitors both branches of the ANS simultaneously.

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) testing, including parasympathetic function (cardiovagal innervation), sympathetic adrenergic function (vasomotor adrenergic innervation), and sudomotor function (quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test [QSART], thermoregulatory sweat test [TST], and silastic sweat imprint test), may be considered medically necessary for use as a diagnostic tool to evaluate symptoms of vasomotor instability after more common causes have been excluded by other testing, for any of the following:

1. Diagnose the presence of autonomic neuropathy in a patient with signs or symptoms suggesting a progressive autonomic neuropathy, including:

Diabetic neuropathy

Amyloid neuropathy

Sjogren’s syndrome

Idiopathic neuropathy

Pure autonomic failure

Multiple system dystrophy

2. Evaluate the severity and distribution of a diagnosed progressive autonomic neuropathy;

3. Differentiate the diagnosis between certain complicated variants of syncope from other causes of loss of consciousness;

Federal Employee Program (FEP) may dictate that all FDA-approved devices, drugs or biologics may not be considered investigational and thus these devices may be assessed only on the basis of their medical necessity.

Investigative service is defined as the use of any treatment procedure, facility, equipment, drug, device, or supply not yet recognized by certifying boards and/or approving or licensing agencies or published peer review criteria as standard, effective medical practice for the treatment of the condition being treated and as such therefore is not considered medically necessary.

The coverage guidelines outlined in the Medical Policy Manual should not be used in lieu of the Member's specific benefit plan language.

Covered Codes

This may not be a comprehensive list of procedure codes applicable to this policy.

The code(s) listed below are ONLY medically necessary if the procedure is performed according to the "Policy" section of this document.

Code Number

Description

CPT-4

95921

Testing of autonomic nervous system function; cardiovagal innervation (parasympathetic function), including 2 or more of the following: heart rate response to deep breathing with recorded R-R interval, Valsalva ratio, and 30:15 ratio